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In India Again – Village Life 102

Carrying a load of barseem (clover) for the water buffalo–for about a minute.

After Rajasthan, I headed north to Himachal Pradesh to research farming methods for a potential new business importing organic spices to the United States. I stayed in a small village outside of a town called Una, with Raj, a driver for One Love Tours, and his family. Raj’s family farms several pieces of land near Una and they grow Himachal Pradesh’s staple crops: wheat, mustard, and barseem (clover for cattle or water buffalo).

Typical Scene in Himachal Pradesh. The Yellow Flowers are Mustard, Wheat in the Foreground, and Raj and his Wife Bringing Barseem to the Water Buffalo

I spent four days with Raj’s family and I started to get a feel for the rhythms of village life. Every morning begins with milking the buffalo, lighting the fire for the cooking stove, and getting breakfast started. Breakfast is standard North Indian fare: whole wheat chapati (flat bread), dal ( a watery but well seasoned stew of lentils), and fresh yogurt.

Making Potatoe Parantha (stuffed flat bread) for Breakfast

Like many families in this part of India, Raj’s family keeps a water buffalo. Water buffalo produce more milk with more milk fat than cows, which makes them the preferred dairy animal in villages. Unlike cattle, it is also legal to slaughter water buffalo in India. This is why you see hundreds of cattle roaming the streets, but rarely a buffalo. When you buy milk at the store, it is a mix of water buffalo and cow’s milk unless clearly specified. This was my first exposure to 100% water buffalo yogurt. This yogurt had a grainy texture and (for me) an unappetizing aftertaste of a smoked Gouda cheese. The taste might have been flavor from the milk, or the bacteria in the yogurt culture might have been the cause, but when it comes to yogurt, I’m a cow girl all the way!

Raj’s Baby Water Buffalo Stared at me More Than the Villagers

Raj has two sisters and because it is the responsibility of the oldest son to take care of his parents, Raj’s mother and father live with his family. I slept in the family’s living room/master bedroom which I shared with Grandmother and the Raj’s sons Gorab, age 10, and Sorav, age 9. I don’t think that privacy exists in a village home, but because of that, people are respectful of one another. It didn’t take long for me to feel like family. At first Raj’s wife was very shy around me, but after I told her she was my favorite cook in all of India (which is true) and let her fix my hair, she warmed up to me and by the end of my visit she offered to come to America to be my wife. I enjoyed spending time with Raj’s children. We played games and they helped me learn Hindi and I helped them with their English.

Raj and Family

New Friends Sorav and Gorab

Raj took me to meet both of his sisters and his aunt and their respective families. They each lived in a neighboring village and I was the first foreigner that many people had met. This made me an instant celebrity. In one village, I had a pack of twenty kids following me around. My celebrity was made even more overwhelming by the fact that they don’t speak much English in the villages and I couldn’t really communicate with my new fans. My camera bridged the communication gap most of the time. People love seeing pictures of themselves and many people wanted their picture taken with me. I felt like my own paparazzi.

Villagers Watching me from a Safe Distance

Making Friends

Raj’s niece, Razni, my new friend and guide helped translate and take photos. She was a great help and a very sweet person. Razni is a modern village woman. She lives at home with her mother, attends college to learn computer programing, works as a beautician, and a secretary, and takes care of her mother and their water buffalo, and she is only 22 years old. She introduced me to all her friends in the village. The experience was really amazing, but also exhausting and whenever I looked tired, which was often, Razni would ask me in her limited English, “Are you boring?” when she meant, “Are you bored?”

My New Friend, Razni, was Way More Excited about my Celebrity Than I Was

Most village women spend time attending to the needs of daily life, growing food, cooking food, washing clothes and taking care of water buffalo. Razni took me with her to cut barseem for the water buffalo, which most women spend part of their day doing. Her brother, who is a tailor, made me a “punjabi suit,” and I got a lot of attention out in the field. I enjoyed being in the fields with the people of the village, mostly women, who visit with one another while they work. It is true that people’s lives are filled with hardship, they are also peaceful and happy. I felt fortunate to experience this part of village life and understand the simple joys that people cultivate in their lives every day.

Full India Immersion, Cutting Barseem in my Custom Made Punjabi Suit

And the Guys Watching Me…

All over India, people carry anything that weighs over fifteen pounds on top of their heads. They often walk a couple of kilometers from the field to their home with these heavy loads. I can’t get enough pictures of people carrying things on top of their head, but I don’t always get the opportunity to get a good photo. These photos start to convey the amazing feats women perform here every day, and their clothes always look clean! I am absolutely in awe of Indian women.

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One thought on “In India Again – Village Life 102”

Wow it’s Awesome.
I don’t remember exactly that i how i ended up on this blog but i am leaving with a smile and happiness over my face and i am quite sure that you left India with the same thing.I hope that you enjoyed your stay.

For me It is always a pleasure to visit countryside ,meeting local and honest people and i am happy that you also did the same thing. You are always welcome to that again 🙂

oh one more thing, if you are confused that what to wear then wear that Punjabi suit you looks Gorgeous in that one 🙂

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